Board of Directors

Brian Lassiter

Brian Lassiter has been president of the Performance Excellence Network (formerly Minnesota Council for Quality) since 2001. Previously, he was managing director for Ian Alliott Consulting, principal consultant for Norstan Consulting, corporate quality consultant for the St. Paul Companies, consultant for Price Waterhouse, and quality manage for Boatmen’s National Bank. In these roles, Lassiter has worked with dozens of organizations in a variety of industries to help them improve their performance and competitiveness.

From 1998 to 2012, Lassiter served on the board of examiners for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. He has also served as a senior evaluator for the Minnesota Quality Award, as a judge for the Veteran’s Administration Baldrige-based Carey Award, a judge for the Baldrige-based American Health Care Association (long-term care) quality awards, and as a member of the board of directors for Goodwill/Easter Seals of Minnesota. He is chair of the board of directors of the Alliance for Performance Excellence, the national consortium of all state and local quality awards, and is also chair of Benedictine Health System, a long-term care system based in Duluth, Minn.

Who We Are

Fundraisers and events help us raise awareness and generate crucial resources to serve our community. Join us at our next event and see how you can get involved. Find out more.

Events

We regularly travel around the country to spread the word about Communities of Excellence 2026 and the important work going on in our Learning Collaborative communities. Join us at our next event and see how you can get involved.Find out more.

A Growing Sense of Urgency

“America faces great challenges as we approach the year 2026 – the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding. We believe the greatest of these challenges—in educational attainment, job creation, and health status—are most effectively confronted at the community level. ” Read on

Kruse Scholars

Meet the Next Generations of Leaders: Learn more about the Kruse Communities of Excellence Scholarship recipientsRead more.